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Failure in sales is common.
People get bounced out of jobs and the industry all the time.
Sometimes for just cause while others, because they didn’t have the tools to succeed.
Failure is hinky and hard to pin-point since it means something different to everyone.
Though most would agree – it is a part our lives that forces us to grow personally and professionally.
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently” – Henry Ford
There are a litany of reasons why salespeople fail:
- Picked the wrong industry or company
- Lack of product knowledge
- Don’t understand value proposition
- Not asking enough or the right questions
- Poor communication skills
- Sell features and not benefits
- Not qualifying the buyer/ prospect
- Can’t find decision maker
- Priced products wrong
- Not aggressive enough
- Overly aggressive
- Lazy/ apathetic/ low activity
- Unwilling to learn or adapt
- Lack of self-esteem
- Ill prepared
- Lack of confidence
- Aren’t following up
- Uncoachable
- Not setting goals
- Improperly trained
- Poor customer service
- Don’t pay attention to detail
- Lack perseverance
- Fear rejection
- Attitude
These are all legit reasons for why salespeople fail, but upon closer examination – there’s an exercise that tames all these issues.
Actively listening – the number one reason why salespeople fail.
What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate
Listening is an acquired skill that demands you tune-in and shift focus away from yourself.
Too often, we listen with the intent to reply as opposed to empathize or understand.
We salespeople just can’t wait for prospects to complete their sentences so we can Jedi mind-trick them into the awesomeness of our solutions.
This doesn’t work.
Not only do we need to listen to our audience more, we must also understand their motivations.
How do our solutions affect our point of contacts?
Often times, a department head that saves their team or the organization stacks is well-regarded or rewarded.
What happens if they decide to wait it out? Will they to burn through more capital?
What will they gain by buying in?
How’s the overall health of the company affected if they forego our services entirely?
There are clues shared every time you connect with a prospect.
If you’re not listening, you miss entire scenarios.
Recognizing these scenarios is the key to winning Sales.
Listening is the practice of giving these roadmaps credence and undivided attention.
And when you listen hard, you ask deeper questions.
It’s within these answers that you can then customize your solution to the prospect.
But getting there is an exercise in patience.
Our prospects need to be heard, not placated.
Be an Active Listener
Throughout the sales process, the most important thing you can do to maximize your chances of winning business is actively listen.
When interacting, every communication, including body language, is part education.
This education dictates what to retain, rebuke or address in order to be aligned with their needs.
The inability to align yourself with prospects on a professional and emotional level will directly affect your KPI’s.
If you’re struggling, instead of continuing down the same road, consider working on listening skills.
Actively listening and identifying any weaknesses from the bullet points above will help.
When you fail to get meetings or close accounts, listen to what others are doing that you’re not.
Ask yourself why you haven’t been achieving the same goals and metrics.
- Do you take notes during Sales meetings with colleagues and Managers?
- Have you sat in on a sales leader’s calls for an entire day or week?
- Are you working on improving your skills outside of work?
- Have you listened to yourself?
- Do you want to be here?
There’s always an answer…
Fail Hard, Fail Often but Fail Forward
When I began in Sales, I knew less than nothing.
I sat in earshot of the dude that hired me, studied and listened to every word.
Till this day, I still parrot much of what he taught me despite being in a different industry.
And on some of those rookie days, I couldn’t grasp the concepts.
Nonetheless, flailing publicly on the sales floor, I powered through.
After each day, I had a page full of notes and as many questions.
We’d go over them until I understood.
Always the first ones in and last to leave.
Suffice to say, I’ve had my share of epic fails, made bad decisions, been canned, didn’t meet goal, lost deals or didn’t listen.
And that’s just my professional life.
But instead of buckling, I learn from my ridiculous, stick and move on.
Fail to the Chief
Salespeople fail because something’s missing.
There’s a gap somewhere and a band-aid on a gunshot wound isn’t the answer.
Being put on a Sales Plan, getting siphoned bad leads, berated by the boss or coached up are standard ways of making salespeople straighten up and fly right.
But, none of these amount to measurable skill gains if the culprit isn’t actively listening.
We all fail to listen at one point or another.
But, by giving our prospects more of the consideration they deserve, we can improve.
Any obstacle in Sales can be overcome by doing one simple thing – day in | day out.
Actively Listening.
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed” – Jordan